Behind the Music
by iwantlunch
Summary: When Austin gets a record deal, it's not at all what the group thought it would be like. But being introduced to some famous friends makes it all better, right? And what about those professional songwriters that seem to "outshine" Ally?
1. Chapter 1

Austin & Ally

**Behind the Music**

Chapter 1

To say Ally was stressed out would be an understatement. Austin's popularity was growing even larger than before and the pressure to come up with an awesome new song every Friday was building. How could she possibly top last weeks' song? It had been their biggest hit yet, getting more views overnight than the first video. With a sigh and a growl emitting from her stomach, Ally leaned her head against the piano top.

The entire week had been spent trying to come up with a new song but she failed terribly. She thanked the heavens that summer has not ended yet because Ally has no idea what to do once school starts. The stress of writing a new song every week weighed down heavily on her shoulders and she could not add school work into the mix. With yet another growl from her stomach, Ally clutched her stomach and moved from sitting to curled up in a ball on her piano bench. Who had time to eat when a song needed to be written?

"Knock, knock!" a familiar voice yelled out into the relaxed music room. Ally knew it was Trish but made no effort to move. "Ally, I've got food from Flavorsome Delights!" The curly brown haired song writer sprang up from her seat and ran towards the door. She couldn't wait to taste the brownies and-

The smile that had been on Ally's face disappeared the moment she saw the bag of food from Dairy Queen. A groan escaped from her lips as she opened the door wider and trudged back to the piano bench. "You lied."

With a shrug, Trish opened the fast food bag and pulled out Ally's favorites. "Being the amazing best friend, and manager of Austin Moon, that I am, I know you've been stressing out so I brought you onion rings!" She held up the square box full of fried, ring shaped food pieces and smiled. Ally reluctantly grabbed for it.

"I've just been freaking out," she began, putting onion ring after onion ring into her awaiting mouth. "I mean, I'm doing this all on my own and whenever I actually get an idea, someone interrupts me! And when I'm alone, I can't think of anything. Plus, my life has just become more hectic," she said in frustration, throwing her hands up in the air, all the while forgetting the onion ring box that was in her hands. All too late she realized what she had done and watched, as if in slow motion, as the remaining precious onion rings flew to the ground. "You have got to be kidding me!" she yelled, bending down to pick up the onion rings and place them into the box. "This is why there is no eating in the store!"

Trish watched as Ally picked up the unhealthy snack and place the box on the piano, leaving it there to be rid of later. "I thought there was no eating in the store because your mom-" Trish stopped there and immediately caught herself. She had suddenly become very interested in the cupcake apron she was wearing from her newest job. Ally looked away to, letting her eyes travel to the far wall. She wasn't mad at Trish for the slip up, everything with her mom happened so suddenly and unexpectedly. It still hurt her though. With a clear of her throat, Ally changed the subject.

"I think I should probably get back to work on that song."

Trish opened her mouth to ask if she needed help but realized that her best friend probably just wanted to be alone. "You're right. And I should probably actually work at this job if I want a car." Ally offered her friend a laugh and a wave before facing her piano again.

"Okay, you can do this. Writing a song is easy! Wait! I can just look in my song book," Ally spoke aloud to herself. She had remembered that she wrote some lyrics down last night after she woke up from a weird dream. Reaching one hand out to the top of the piano while letting her other hand glide across the cold, black and white keys, Ally only grasped air. "My songbook!" she exclaimed as she abruptly stood from her seat to examine the empty surface, excluding the lukewarm onion rings. "Where did it-"

"You should really stop leaving this around, you know," Austin Moon announced to Ally as he barged into the room, holding the worn songwriting/journal/diary in his hand. Leaping towards him, Ally quickly took the book from his hands and held it against her chest, muttering a familiar saying.

"Don't touch my songbook." She sat herself back on the piano bench and opened her precious book. I only she could remember where she scribbled down those lyrics…

"It's not my fault that you _carelessly_ leave it around," the blonde singer supplied, reaching his hand out to grab an onion ring. Ally opened her mouth to warn him but decided against considering how she was still upset about him reading about her crush on Dallas. "These are really good onion rings. A little cold," he said with a shrug, "but really good." The brown haired songwriter just gave the boy a fake smile before turning back to her songbook, hoping to find her forgotten lyrics somewhere within.

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><p><strong>Hi! There's finally an Austin &amp; Ally category and fanfiction create it the day I decide to publish this. I'm excited. Anyway, am I the only one that thinks Ally's songbook is probably really messy with random lyrics and notes in it, sprawled out across various pages? Okay, cool. But I'm excited for this story! :)<strong>

**No telling when I'll be able to update next but hopefully it's soon. Leave me your thoughts and whatnot in a review, por favor.**

**Oh, and fangirl moment. The entire "Secrets & Songbook" episode. Ahhh, my shipper heart was so happy. And finally, we were so close to an Austin and Ally hug but nada. And now I love the song "Not a Love Song" and the lyric video for "A Billion Hits". Okay, fangirl moment over.**

**Until next time... :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Behind the Music

**Chapter 2**

The pile of wood planks under the window to Sonic Boom had nearly finished growing. "Last one," Mr. Dawson said to Austin as they pulled the nails out of the outer store walls. Austin had already heard the numerous stories of how Mr. Dawson used the same wood to cover the store for every hurricane that came through Miami Beach. Trying to be polite, Austin nodded his at the perfect moments but stayed focused on taking the new nails out of the old holes, all the while being careful enough not split the wood.

The two males finally unleashed the last piece of wood from the store walls and gently placed the plank onto the top of the pile. "Well, thank you for helping me out, Austin," Mr. Dawson said to the blonde who only nodded in response. "Now, if you want to know how I keep these woods in such perfect condition-"

"Austin!" Ally yelled from the top of the stairs within Sonic Boom. Austin thanked his lucky stars, apologized to Lester, and rushed inside. He now understood why Ally stayed upstairs after she "checked to make sure the instruments were okay." But she could have warned him of her dad's story time.

"What's up?" Austin asked once he reached their music room. He strolled over to the fridge, pulled out a soda, and took a generous gulp. Looking over to where Ally stood, her arms crossed and a glare directed towards him, Austin slowly moved the soda away from his lips and gave her a questioning look. "What's wrong?"

"Where's my summer assignment homework?" she asked, crossing her arms even closer against her chest. It was then that Austin noticed her chestnut hair askew, a piece slightly damp, and the tapping of her foot against the ground.

"Chill, Ally. It's in my notebook," Austin said nonchalantly as he shrugged and motioned towards the green notebook that sat in the nearby lounge chair. His blue eyes followed Ally as she rushed towards the notebook, ripping her papers free of its hold, and turning on her foot at him.

"Austin!" she shrieked, pulling her homework against her chest. "Were you copying my summer homework?"

"I don't see the big deal about it," Austin responded as he walked over to pick up his notebook. He groaned when he opened the book to only be reminded that he had only copied the first answer before Dez had run in with the new _Duty Calls_ game.

"You don't see the big deal?" Ally shrieked even louder. "That's cheating Austin! It's plagiarism! I can't believe-"

"Calm down Ally, Dez and I do it all the time." Ally opened her mouth to yell at him once more before closing it.

"Everything makes _so _much more sense to me now." With that, Ally grabbed her songbook, put her homework into it, and walked out of the music room.

"Wait!" Austin yelled after her. How was he supposed to do the assignment when school started in two days? "Ally! Ally, I need your help though!" He yelled after her, rushing down the stairs behind her.

"Do it yourself!" she responded when the store phone rang and she answered it, book still clutched in her hands. Austin sighed. He'll just snatch the homework out of her book later when she was busy with customers. His eyes gazed around the store. For it only being a day after a hurricane that passed through, the store was fairly busy. There were a few customers testing out the instruments but Ally seemed too absorbed in her conversation, probably with Trish, to scold them. Maybe if he stopped them then Ally will be thankful enough to lend him her homework. Yeah, that'll work!

"Austin!" a ginger haired boy shouted into the store. The blonde singer let his eyes travel to his somewhat uptight best friend. He watched as she simply glared at the other boy for a few moments before turning her back and returning her full attention to the phone conversation. Austin moved his eyes over to his male best friend who stood in the middle of the store, racking through his backpack.

"Hey Dez!" Austin said as he approached the filmmaker. With a raised eyebrow, he cautiously peered into the backpack. "Is that seriously-"

"Yes, yes it is," Dez spoke, the pride evident in his voice. Austin just nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips as he pulled the paper from the bag.

"This is absolutely perfect," he said in a voice just above a whisper while his eyes scanned over the printed out e-mail once more.

_Dear Mr. Moon,_

_I've heard your music and I must say that I am interested in your potential. I'll be in the Miami Beach area next weekend and I'd like to talk to you. I expect that you'll be doing another show and premiering a new song as well. I'll be in touch._

_Theodore Adams_

_President, CEO - Thrills Records_

Austin's smile widened and he couldn't help but hug his ginger best friend. Things could not get better.

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><p><strong>Hey everyone! Thank you all for such the positive responses to the first chapter! I appreciate it all and it really made me smile. You're all amazing, seriously.<strong>

**Bubblelina15: Oh my gosh, I cannot believe I forgot that part. Ross Lynch's face during that entire scene and then the song they created right after was just amazing. I am so pumped for the next episode!**

**theheffalump: Hahahaha, I could not stop laughing at your review. I appreciate you thoughts on my grammar although I can promise that, despite it not being the best, it'll at least be bearable! I don't really like the kind of pop-y music on the show either but I have to say, A Billion Hits and Not A Song are very good. I love them now. Hahaha**

**And big, gigantic thank-yous to everyone else! I really appreciate it and I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. Although some details in here may not seem too important, they most likely will be later on in the story. "Duty Calls" is obviously a play on the game "Call of Duty" and as far as I know, there is no Thrills Records nor anyone named Theodore Adams that is a President/CEO of a record company. Stay tuned for more! Review with your thoughts/opinions and such. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Behind the Music

Chapter 3

If anyone had been near her at that very moment, Ally was certain that they would have heard her heart beating a mile a minute. One thing that made her nervous would be meeting the parents of any of her friends. Ally, convinced that her heart didn't even beat this fast when she met Dallas's parents, took a deep breath and knocked on the wooden door.

A tan, average sized woman had answered the door. Her blonde hair, straight as a pin, fell just past her shoulders. The blue eyes of the woman met Ally's chocolate ones.

"Hello, can I help you?" the woman asked with a smile. She wore a gray business suit, iPhone in one hand while the other held the door open only a certain amount open. Her makeup, light, complimented her skin tone. Ally heard the melodious tune of her voice and it reminded her of the reason that she was here.

"Um, hi. I'm Ally. Is, uh... is Austin here?" the brown haired girl asked the woman, suddenly more nervous than before. The approval of her friend's parents meant a lot to her. A feeling of relief flooded her when the older woman's smile widened with delight, as well as the door.

"Oh, come in! So you are the Ally that I hear so much about," Mrs. Moon said to her. Austin had talked to his parents about her? Ally felt her heart pound even louder, if possible, and her face felt warmer than before. _Obviously he's told his parents about you_, she thought to herself. _His parents probably knew that their son had someone helping him with the songs he performs_. Her heartbeat slowed only slightly and Ally walked into the house, following Mrs. Moon to the kitchen.

The Moon residence was not a place that Ally had been to too often. Mostly they hung out at Sonic Boom or another place at the mall. Clutching her songbook in her hand, Ally took the time to take in the house. During the other times when she visited, three if she remembered correctly, Austin's father had opened the door and directed her the way to Austin's room before quickly returning to his work presentation. In her nervousness, Ally would just thank him before rushing up the stairs.

"Hey Mom, do we have any eggs?" a familiar blonde singer asked the older woman when he heard her enter the room. Closing the refrigerator, Austin turned towards the doorway and a smile graced his lips at the sight of Ally beside his mother. "Ally! I can't wait to tell-"

"Trish told me," Ally spoke with a smile as she cut off her best friend. His smile seemed to grow bigger. Mrs. Moon had excused herself as her phone began ringing. When the woman retreated from the kitchen, Ally turned her full attention to Austin. "How did a president of a record company know about you?" she asked him with a rushed excitement. "Not that this isn't great, because it's beyond that, but usually the president of a record company doesn't go see unsigned artists. Do you know how big this is? Don't you see-"

"Calm down, Ally" Austin said with a smile and a laugh as he put his hands on her shoulders. "I think you're a little too excited." Ally just bowed her head slightly to hide her reddening face.

"I was thinking maybe we could work on the song because it's definitely not good enough. It needs a bit of tweaking around the bridge-"

"Ally, take a breath."

Ally looked back up at Austin, his hazel eyes twinkling. His laugh that echoed around the kitchen was contagious and Ally couldn't help but laugh as well. Taking her best friend's advice, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She could still feel his warm hands on her shoulders, keeping her calm.

"Now that you're calm, you can listen to me," his melodious voice said, a smile accompanying the sentence. Ally rolled her eyes playfully but made sure he knew that he had her full attention. "This has to be one of the best songs you have ever written. Tweaking it, or whatever you want to call it, will only ruin it. Got it?"

A sigh escaped her lips. Since when did Austin become right about so much? With a nod from Ally, he dropped his hands from her shoulders before opening the fridge again and taking out the orange juice. "Do you want anything to drink?" he asked her, grabbing a cup from the cabinet and letting his hand linger up there in case she did.

"I'm fine, thanks," she said with a smile. Austin shrugged and began to pour his drink. The sound of "Marry You" by Bruno Mars from her purse caused Ally to jump. She had just changed her ringtone to it and still wasn't used to it. Reaching her hand into her purse, she searched for the ringing cell phone. Finally grabbing it and taking it out of her bag, she saw Austin giving her an amused look. Sticking her tongue out at him, she answered the phone.

"Hello?" she said into the phone. A smiled instantly appeared on her face as she realized that Dallas had called her. Ally still had not gotten used to calling the boy from the cell phone accessory cart her boyfriend despite today being their three month anniversary.

The conversation, quick as it was, had made Ally smile that special smile that she used for only the things she loved. Ending the call, the songwriter turned towards Austin and opened her mouth to speak though he had beaten her to it.

"Is lover boy making any special plans for tonight?" he asked her with a genuine smile. Ally blushed and nodded her head only slightly.

"I think. He has something he wants to tell me when we go to dinner!" she spoke excitedly. Before she could go off on a tangent, the singer spoke.

"Are you guys still going to my concert tonight?" he asked her before taking a sip of his juice. Ally nodded her head. When she had begun dating Dallas, Austin and he had a rough relationship. As Ally and Dallas's first month anniversary approached, the boys had eased around each other. They were nice to the other and had eventually become good friends. Austin's Saturday night concerts were always their pre-date entertainment. And tonight's was no exception.

Ally had spoken to Dallas about how important it was that they were there tonight. This could be the big break that Austin needed! And he needed them there for moral support. It was what friends did.

"I know you're dying to get ready for your date tonight with Dallas so go ahead and leave!" Austin spoke with a smile. "I bet Trish already got fired so she'll be available to help you." Ally beamed at him.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed. Ally was not one to just ditch a friend when she was with them, especially not when she just arrived. She ran over, gave Austin a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before running out the door. "See you tonight!" she had quickly yelled behind her. The blonde just shook his head with a laugh and a smile at the girl who just left. Putting his glass in the sink, one thing haunted Austin that he had suddenly wished he spoke to Ally about.

_Why do girls get ready hours before a date?_

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><p><strong>Um, wow. I am so sorry for not updating earlier! Things got a little crazy with the holidays. And I am also so sorry that this chapter isn't my best. But I do love the last three lines. Just saying. Thank you all for the amazing responses on all my projects so far in the Austin and Ally section. You guys are seriously amazing!<strong>

**So, I know in other fandoms when I would read and review the stories (I really want to read Austin & Ally ones but I have absolutely no time! I there's any good ones, please recommend them to me and I'll try my best to read them!) and the first love interest would end up becoming this horrible person and I felt bad. I really hope that this isn't happening with Dallas so I tried to make him seem like a good guy. And since everything is platonic at the moment (according to the characters at least), I wanted to make Austin and Dallas good friends.**

**Thank you to everyone who put this on their alerts or favorites. It means a lot. Thank you to edrees500, AnimeRoxx, and IrisSilver98 for the reviews. And thank you siriusblackrox123.**

**Siriusblackrox123: You will find out hopefully in the next chapter as to why they don't mention her. Things get very interesting!**

**Thank you all again. Leave me any feedback/opinions/comments/anything. Have a good day!**

**Until next chapter... :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Behind the Music

Chapter 4

Sonic Boom had been fairly busy that afternoon, at least during the time that he had spent in there today. Dez had been setting up a few different cameras around the store, with permission from Mr. Dawson, that way he could get various shots of Austin's performance that evening. He had finished putting up the last camera (his sister's that he "borrowed" for the night) when he heard the loud voice belonging to a memorable Latina girl.

"You'll never guess what I just brought!" he heard Trish yell into the store. With a turn of his head, Dez watched as Trish walked in wearing a dark blue floor length dress. And if anyone had asked Dez, he'd admit that it fit her well, very well.

"That outfit I'm assuming?" Ally asked from the guitar display in the back of the store.

"No," Dez said, walking over to the counter that both girls were approaching. "It's definitely the earrings." The girls exchanged looks with each other before taking a chance and looking towards him.

"Dez, I got these earrings a month ago. It's the dress!" Trish said in a frustrated tone. She shook her hair, her black curls dancing upon her head as she turned her attention towards Ally. "So is that what you spent all morning and afternoon getting together for your date?" Dez saw Ally look down at her outfit, a black flow-y skirt that reached her knees with a light pink top and black ankle boots.

"Well, I'm sorry that I couldn't think of anything that wasn't over-the-top. My personal fashion consultant was busying shopping for herself," she responded with a look in Trish's direction.

"Why is this date so important, anyway?" Dez asked, taking his backpack off an opening it, searching for his handheld camera. His mind would never comprehend why girls care so much about looks. Just give a guy food and he won't care how you look! But looks care to some guys. And to be fair, Dez cared about Ally and thought she was a great friend but she wasn't his type. He liked girls that weren't afraid to speak their mind and when it came to hair, he preferred really curly hair-

"-love him!" He barely heard Ally talking at all.

"What did you say?" he asked. Trish rolled her eyes and gave her best friend a look.

"I told you he wasn't listening."

"Dez," Ally began, making sure she had his full attention. He looked at her and he watched her look around the store before leaning closer. "I think tonight Dallas is going to tell me he loves me… and I'm pretty sure I love him too."

"Oh?" Dez said with a shrug, ignoring the goofy smile on Ally's face. "That's what the big hoopla is?" With a shake of his head, Dez pulled out his handheld camera and decided he needed to check the battery to make sure it had enough life for the concert in a few hours.

"I swear, you have no romantic bone in your body!" Trish exclaimed, throwing her hands up in defeat. "This is a big deal. And it's cute and romantic."

"I do have a heart! That's romantic," Dez shot back at her, giving her a face to complete his statement. Ha, showed her, he thought. He barely noticed Ally slamming a hand against her forehead and Trish giving him an 'is-he-serious?' look.

"That's an organ," Trish called to Dez as he walked towards one of the couches in music store. The short girl turned towards Ally, the disbelief still slightly in her voice as she repeated, "That's an organ."

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><p>Ally rocked back and forth on her heels, mindlessly swaying to the music. She stole a glance at Mr. Theodore Adams to see if he was enjoying the new song she wrote for Austin. He kept a poker-face on the entire performance, one of Austin's biggest live crowds. The president wore a black suit and tie, not a wrinkle could be seen on either. His black shoes were especially shiny under the bright lights of Sonic Boom. A warm hand grasping her own drew Ally's attention from the man.<p>

"He's doing good, don't worry," Dallas reassured her. She smiled up at her boyfriend, taking the hair out of her mouth that she had absentmindedly begun chewing on. Austin had finished the song and bid the crowd farewell before he ran over to Ally and quickly hugged her, causing her hand to break away from Dallas'.

"The crowd loved the song! And I think that record company guy did too!" Austin said excitedly as he released Ally from his grip. His smile could not get any wider. He gave Dallas a high five as he rapidly asked him of his opinion of the performance while Dez walked over to join them. Trish had beckoned her over and Ally obeyed. Leaning against the counter with her best friend, she smiled at the enthusiasm of her favorite boys.

"Excuse me, I am looking for a," the voice paused as the girls turned their attention to the man. "Patricia Ramirez?" he finished, uncertainly. Ally instantly recognized him as Theodore Adams. After spending the night searching the internet for what the man looked like and then keeping an eye on him from across the room, she realized just how intimidating it was to stand in front of him.

"That's me. But I go by Trish. How can I help you?" Trish asked, the tone in her voice obviously translating her thoughts of not waiting to be bothered.

"You… are Austin Moon's manager?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. And who are-"

"You're Theodore Adams!" Ally said, finally finding her voice. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Trish's facial expression quickly became that of shock and slight regret. Ally suddenly wanted to curl up in a ball as the man directed his attention towards her.

"And you are?"

"Ally Dawson, sir. I write Austin's songs," she said, her face a light pink. She was nervous and her hand itched to grab her hair for her to chew as her mind screamed for Ms. Pennyworth. The president raised an eyebrow and gave her a once-over.

"I see," he said before quickly turning his attention back to Trish. Ally felt hurt suddenly. Did Theodore Adams not believe her? Or worse, did he feel she shouldn't be writing songs at all, much less for Austin Moon. Ally decided then that this day was not hers. Once she had left Austin's house, she went home to get ready. Her shower water was frigid and the original clothes she had picked out for her date with Dallas ended up getting bleach on them from her father mixing the laundry on accident. On the bus to Sonic Boom her purse broke, spilling all its contents across the sticky floors where a hobo looking man pocketed her money and got off the bus as soon as possible.

"Thank you," she barely heard Theodore Adams say before walking towards the blonde singer on the other side of the store. Ally turned towards Trish.

"What happened just now?" she asked her best friend. Trish smiled wide and Ally inwardly cheered at herself for masking her hurt so quickly.

"Theodore wants to talk to Austin about a record deal!" she exclaimed, doing a happy dance. Ally immediately forgot about her troubles and a great smile danced on her face as she danced as well. Austin truly deserved the record deal and she couldn't help but be overly excited about it.

"This is amazing!"

The happy dancing died down swiftly as both girls clutched their stomachs from the cramps that had developed due to the jumping and cheering. "We're really out of shape," both girls confessed at the same time, causing an eruption of giggles.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Dallas said walked over to the two girls. Ally smiled at him as he grabbed her hand. "But we have reservations at Blue Sea." The songwriter bid farewell to Trish and turned her head back as her and Dallas began leaving Sonic Boom. She watched as Austin talked enthusiastically to the president but she caught his eye. He waved at her and mouthed "Thank-you" before hurriedly returning to his conversation. Ally just smiled, looked forward, and leaned closer to Dallas as they made their way to the restaurant.

_Maybe today wasn't so bad after all._

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><p><strong>Hey everyone! I'm not so sure about the beginning of the chapter but I wanted to show a little bit of Dez's point of view. Sorry if it's horrible and he's not in character.<strong>

**Blue Sea is a play on the restaurant Red Lobster so... yeah. Things really start rolling after this chapter. Okay, maybe I'm lying; things will probably start unfolding in... I have no idea what chapter. Sorry. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter! YAY! I updated! School is going to start really getting in the way of writing so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update but it'll probably be during the weekends.**

**Thank you so much to siriusblackrox123 (by the way, I love your username. Just saying.), VeVe2491, Bubblelina15, summer mosabbeh, and jazzmonkey for the reviews. They all made me smile! And thank you to everyone who either favorited this or put this on alerts. It means a lot, as cheesy as that sounds.**

**jazzmonkey: Thank you so much. It honestly made me smile that you thought they were in character! YAY! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. And your comment about the balance, thank you so much. I don't want to do excitement chapter after excitement but I fear that that might not be in the cards for the rest of the chapters (until probably the resolution). But seriously, thank you.**

**summer mosabbeh: I have no comment. ;) hahah**

**I hope you all enjoyed it! Until next chapter... :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Behind the Music

Chapter 5

_"She's a lady and ladies shouldn't be messed with."_

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><p>The aroma of the garlic bread filled Ally's nose as the waiter brought back the refilled biscuit basket. Her hand reached for a piece of bread as the waiter cleared their dinner plates. Her mind had been drifting half of dinner as she ate. She kept thinking about ways to tell Dallas that she was falling in love with him. <em>'Was it okay to tell him this?'<em> she kept asking herself. They had been dating for three months exactly and they had seen each other nearly every day. Taking a deep breath, Ally looked up and placed the bread down on the extra plate.

Dallas had moved his floppy hair out of his eyes in one swift moment and Ally smiled softly. She placed her hand halfway across the table next to the burning candle, expecting Dallas's hand to meet hers like it always did.

"Ally, can I talk to you about something?" Dallas asked, his eyes not quite meeting hers in a nervous manner. Ally felt her heart beat quicken, not in a happy, nervous way but in nervous anticipation. The new speed of her heart did not sit well with her. Reaching out her right hand an inch more, Ally gave her boyfriend an encouraging smile. He sighed and shook his head, trying to figure out how to word whatever his thoughts were.

"You can talk to me about anything," she responded gently. His eyes finally met hers and they no longer looked like the chocolate orbs that she was so familiar to. They looked distant and… guilty? Her hand inched back slightly but she still offered it as support.

"This isn't easy to say," he spoke, more to himself than to her. He wiped his tan hand over his eyes before returning his gaze back to her. "Ally, I really care about and I'm starting to fall in love with you," he began and Ally's smile widen slightly. "But," he continued and Ally suddenly felt the smile drop off of her face. Her hand inched away even more from the candle in the center of the table. "I'm falling in love more with someone else. It's not fair to anyone if we keep dating," he spoke as gently as he could, considering he was breaking her heart.

"Oh," was all Ally could say as she felt her chest tighten, her heart beginning to break. Her hand retracted slowly from the table before landing in her lap. He said that he was falling in love with her. And that gave Ally slight hope. But then her mind reminded her that he was falling harder for some other girl. "Were you cheating on me?" she asked in a low voice, her eyes watching the edge of the table cloth as it moved from the waiters that passed by.

"No Ally, never." Dallas took a deep breath before straightening up in his seat. He placed his hands on the edge of the table, playing with his red linen napkin. "I think we'd be better off as friends." Ally took a sharp intake of breath and looked up at the brown haired boy across from her. "I think there are people out there that are better for us than we are for each other." Ally nodded her head, her eyes following as his gaze shifted to everything in the room but her eyes.

"You've already got yours," Ally spoke in a soft mumble, hoping that Dallas couldn't hear her. Her eyes had shifted down to her hands as the waiter brought the check.

"Your perfect person is closer than you think," he said. He stood slowly, straightening his outfit before grabbing his coat and the check. He leaned down and Ally closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead gently. "I really am sorry," he whispered to her before walking away. Her head turned slightly to watch as Dallas paid for their dinner before retreating out of the restaurant.

A deep breath escaped from Ally's lips as her eyes returned to her table, landing on the burning candle in the center. She felt her heart shattered even more as her mind decided to replay the entire conversation. She shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts as well as tears that threatened to prick her eyes. She would not cry. She hadn't cried in years and she was not about to begin at Blue Sea.

Her mind replayed her entire relationship with Dallas as she stared down the candle, the wax dripping down the sides. Were there any hints of him falling in love with someone else? How could she have not seen this coming? What could she have done to change the outcome? Her head betrayed her heart's wish to forget the break-up for the moment as her thoughts kept racing around, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Ally watched as the candle eventually burnt out though she didn't care as she was still deep in thought. The waiters ultimately came around to tell her that the restaurant was closing therefore she had to leave. As she stood outside Blue Sea and dialed for her father to pick her up, she could still not grasp what had happened that night. It did not turn out to be her day despite how well things looked up for Austin. But in the end, she refused to cry. A tear had not escaped her eye for years and she intended to keep it that way. Not even Trish would be able to get a tear out of her. Because Ally Dawson would not cry.

* * *

><p>Austin only worried about Ally on two occasions; when she's sick and when she did not have a song done on time. So when the blonde singer entered Sonic Boom and had been greeted by Melissa, one of Lester's employees, he did not think anything of it. Ally deserved to have a day off every once in a while. When Austin did not see Ally at school that Monday, he decided to check Sonic Boom once more. <em>'Maybe Ally just needed a day to herself,'<em> he had told himself. His worry increased tenfold when Ally was absent once again on Tuesday.

After school, he made his way to the music store that he considered as a second home. Nelson, the little boy who took piano and oboe lessons from Ally, came into view when Austin got closer to the store. He saw the black grand piano tied up behind the boy. With a chuckle, Austin rushed over to the boy and helped him get the piano out of Sonic Boom's doors.

"Hasn't Ally told you a bunch of times that you don't need to bring your own piano?" Austin asked the Nelson, a small smile on his face. Nelson responded with a shrug.

"I get distracted by her beauty," he said in a young, dreamy voice. The older boy laughed and ruffled Nelson's hair.

"It's okay. Is Ally in there?" Austin asked. Nelson had become a friend somewhat to the singer. He entertained the group and was adorably nice. His innocence gave Austin an excuse to let his inner child run free though he didn't act any different as any other time.

"Nope, sorry." Nelson gave his piano a tug and began rolling it back to the bus stop.

"Do you need help?"

"I've got it!" the little boy responded. Austin sighed, took a couple of coins out of his pocket and handed them to Nelson.

"Why don't you take a break and throw these in the fountain. You've got to let go this time though," Austin said as he bent down to the young boy's level and handed him the coins. He watched as the boy attempted to run off towards the fountain, forgetting the piano attached to him. Austin shook his head with a laugh and entered the music store.

"Hey Mr. Dawson," he said as he greeted his best friend's father. Mr. Dawson had waved to Austin before walking over. "Is Ally here?" Lester shook his head and let out a breath.

"She's home right now." Austin opened his mouth to ask another question but Mr. Dawson spoke before he could. "Dallas broke up with her and she hasn't been herself. I let her stay home because she just needed to be alone." The singer could barely comprehend what he was just told. From what he heard from Dez and Dallas himself, things between the two were going great. And it was their three-month anniversary on Saturday. Austin thanked Mr. Dawson before departing from the store in a rush.

…

_'How could Trish have not told him?_' he asked himself. Trish acted like herself and Austin didn't see anything different going on with her. When he had asked about Ally, Trish had simply changed the subject. His sneakers pounded up the porch steps as Austin clutched the object in his hand. He quickly looked for plant which he knew Ally's spare house key was hidden under. Grabbing it, he quickly unlocked the door before returning the key to its spot and closing the door behind him.

Austin rushed up the stairs and past a few closed doors before he reached the door belonging to his heartbroken best friend. The thought of taking off his shoes, as the songwriter had always requested them do before entering her bedroom, did not seem to matter today for it was the day that was the exception to the rule. He knocked on the door before slowly opening it.

Ally's room had been painted in a light purple. Her cream colored desk was neat and there was barely an article on it besides her computer. She had a keyboard set up in the corner of her room and on the wall where her headboard laid against was bookshelves, filled to the brink. Austin's eyes landed on Ally's figure that on the edge of her bed, staring at the wall. He felt that if she were to look over her shoulder to see who opened the door, she would fall off of the bed.

"Hey Ally…" he said gently, not sure if the girl had been asleep. When no response came, Austin approached the bed. Ally laid on her left side on the edge, her left arm beneath her head on the pillow. He softly sat down on the bed before lying opposite of her. Her eyes were open though there stared at the wall behind Austin's head. "I'm sorry," he said tenderly, his eyes begging for hers to meet his gaze. The whites of her eyes were bright as day, giving Austin the notion that not a tear was shed.

The songwriter's brown eyes finally met his for a moment before looking down the bed to her feet. Austin grabbed the stuffed animal he had brought with him and presented it to her.

"Dougy," she whispered, a small smile appearing on her face. Ally looked up at Austin, searching for the answer to the sudden appearance of the stuffed dolphin that she had given him.

"I thought you might need a friend," he said, adjusting his weight and putting his right arm beneath his head. Ally nodded slightly. She took her left hand from under her head and used it to clutch the stuffed animal, her right hand forgotten on the bed. She took a deep breath before opening her mouth to speak.

"Austin?"

"Yeah?" he said, watching her facial expressions. He watched as she hesitated.

"Why wasn't I enough?" she asked, the heartbreak evident in her voice. Austin watched as Ally winced at the single tear the escaped her eyes. For all the months that he had known Ally, he had never seen her cry. And as he watched the single tear run down her cheek, he admired how vulnerable she looked. Her hair was a mess, she was in sweats and her hands clutched Dougy while she regretfully let the tear finish its travel down her face. He wanted to wipe the tear off of her face but he dare not make a move, in fear of the fact that he felt touching her would break her. And the last thing Austin Moon ever wanted to do was break Ally Dawson.

"Ally, you are absolutely perfect. You were- you are more than enough," Austin began and he gently reached his left hand out to grasp her right one. He watched as she closed her eyes, tears ready to spill over. "He was the one that wasn't good enough for you. He is going to settle for a girl that is no way near as amazing as you are and he will regret the day he ever let Ally Dawson go. Got it?" he said, a tiny smile on his face.

Her eyes opened as her head barely made the motion of a nod. She let her gaze fall on their hands, fingers somehow intertwined, before looking up at him. But his eyes did not meet hers. He looked at their hands as he absentmindedly ran his thumb over her knuckles. "Besides, no other girl can write an amazing song about butterflies when they were just in kindergarten."

Ally laughed at the memory of Austin performing her song for her. She would forever be grateful for what he did for her. "You're a big dork, Austin," she said with a smile. Austin could only respond with a wide smile. Ally's phone rang, the voice of Bruno Mars echoing around the room. Austin made a move to get off the bed to get her phone for her but Ally pulled him back by the hand that was still intertwined with his own.

_'Cause it's a beautiful night,_

_We're looking for something dumb to do_

_Hey baby_

_I think I wanna marry you_

"Ignore it," she spoke and she hugged the dolphin closer to her chest. Her eyes drifted closed but Ally did not let go of Austin's hand. He lay there, watching as the unusual girl fell into a peaceful sleep. He would do anything for her, he was sure of that. The ringtone continued once more and Austin sighed, closing his eyes as well. The song that used to annoy him so much didn't seem that bad anymore.

* * *

><p><strong>Hi. I probably should have put as a disclaimer that I don't own "Marry You" by Bruno Mars. And sorry, there's slight hints to "Bloggers &amp; Butterflies" though not much.<strong>

**Thank you to everyone that reviewed! I appreciated it a lot! YAY! You guys make my day. Sorry if this chapter confused anyone, even a little bit.**

**Review responses:**

**Athena Goddess of the Wise: Well, there is a very big chance/possibility of there being Austin/Ally since those two are so adorable and cute. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to put it in but I want it in here too! :)**

**squirtlepokemon215: I love you username, by the way. Anyway, I am so so SO sorry that you got confused! If you need me to clear anything, please do tell. I really apologize. And if there's anything I can do to make this a "10" in your book, please share with me that too! Haha :) Again, I am really sorry that you got confused, you're probably not the only one. But thank you so much for you review! It still made me smile a lot! :)**

**jazzmonkey: Haha, thank you! I'm trying to show it through Dez's perspective so it was a little tough but I'm glad you liked it! Thank you! :)**

**AnimeRoxx: Well, Ally & Dallas are never going to be a couple again in this story. You might see him later (cough, cough! Wink, wink!) but it will probably turn out being Austin/Ally in the end. I'm a sucker for them being a couple so I'm just trying to work out how I'm going to do it. And thank you for your kind review. It really means a lot! :)**

**Wow, I'm a big fan of these smiley faces. :) heh. Honestly, EVERYONE's reviews make me smile. Thank you all so much. YAY! for this being the longest chapter yet for this story. Woot woot! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter though! Leave me any responses, thoughts, opinions, any ways that I could improve, anything! Thank you all again! :)**

**Oh, and I'm trying not to make Dallas too bad of a guy. Because I might have something for him in the future in this story (NOT Ally though. Don't worry, they won't be a couple again in this story!). So stay tuned! :)**

**Until next chapter...**


	6. Chapter 6

Behind the Music

Chapter 6

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><p><em>"I love the way she fills her clothes<em>  
><em>She looks just like them girls in Vogue<em>  
><em>I love the way she plays it cool<em>  
><em>I think that she is beautiful."<em>

* * *

><p>The pressure had been building up all week. This is what they practiced hours for. Yet Ally could not help but worry. Her right hand instinctively went for her hair but her hand only grasped air. That's when she remembered she had pulled her hair over her left shoulder for the occasion.<p>

Ally tried her best to smooth her strapless red dress in effort to calm her nerves before grabbing a cloth to wipe down the counters. She had found the dress in the back of her closet way back when she was searching for something to wear to the Miami Internet Music Awards. Oh, what a disaster on her part (especially a disaster for Trish and Dez) that was. But when the invitation was handed to her, Ally found that she could redo the outfit, makeup, and hair, even though it was just for Nelson's recital.

The adorable little boy had been so excited to give Ally her invitation. His second grade class was having a recital and Nelson would play the piano during one of the songs. She hoped he would do well. After all, his mother requested for extra lessons. The boy with glasses had improved greatly during their lessons but half the time she felt that he was distracted. This had only increased her worries for that night.

"I think you can scrub a little harder," a voice said sarcastically though Ally could tell that the person was smiling. She had turned around quickly, cloth clutched to her chest in surprise. Her eyes took in the blonde boy before her.

"Austin!" she exclaimed, quickly placing the cloth down before grabbing her red sparkling clutch. She moved out from behind the counter and over to the front doors of Sonic Boom where Austin stood. The feeling of his eyes looking down her body, past the end of her dress at her knees and even down to her heels, before returning her gaze, cased Ally to blush a light pink.

"Ready?" he asked. Ally nodded her head, walking in sync with Austin as they exited the music store. His black tux jacket clad arm would brush against her bare arm and it would comfort her, much like how many of his touches during the past two weeks have been.

As the duo began to walk towards the cell phone accessory cart in order to get to the parking lot, Ally felt, and knew almost by instinct what he was doing, Austin's arm falling down around her shoulders. He pulled her close to him in a comforting manner as they passed the cart. Ally did her best to avoid all eye contact with the cart and the boy who worked there.

The breakup with Dallas had hit Ally especially hard. After the visit from her partner, the songwriter could not stop the tears from falling. She had returned to school the next day, thankful she didn't have any classes with Dallas, and continued as if nothing happened, a trait she had become skilled at earlier in life. Austin, Trish, and Dez knew that she was still hurting dedicated themselves to cheer her up.

The cell phone accessory cart had to be passed if Ally wanted to go the short way to the parking lot and bus stop. She inwardly cringed when the fact that she'd have to pass him by whenever she wanted to leave. So whenever Ally arrived at or left Sonic Boom, she would go through the back door even if it did mean going the long way to the parking lot.

The first time Ally saw Dallas at the cell phone cart had to be the hardest for Ally. She had gone on her lunch-break and went in search of Trish's new job at the Chinese food restaurant. Her eyes had landed on the tall brown haired boy and she felt her heart break all over again. He stood at his cart, laughing with the beautiful blonde Holly, who Ally knew was his best friend. When he saw her, he gave her a small, sad smile and Holly gave her a sympathetic look. Ally just turned away, quickly wiping her tears and rushing to the Chinese restaurant. After Trish had found out about the incident, word spread to Austin and Dez leading to boys to wrap a comforting arm around her shoulders whenever they passed the cell phone cart.

The warmth of Austin's arm around her shoulders didn't leave when they passed the cart. This had become a casual thing for them. Though that didn't stop the light blush from returning to her face. She convinced herself that it was just because of how many people looked at the two as they made their way to his mother's car. _'It was because we're all dressed up at a mall. We're out of place_' she had told herself. Yet there was still a tiny part of her that wanted those girls, whose mouths popped open at the sight of the singer and songwriter together, to actually think that Ally Dawson could get a guy as amazing as Austin Moon.

…

Ally plays with her fingers as they tightly clutched her purse. She and Austin were busy searching for open seats within the small auditorium. "There!" Ally said as she pointed out the two open seats in the third row. As they made their way over, the Script's "Before the Worst" began lowly playing. Austin quickly reached for the phone in his pocket, instantly knowing that he had a text message. When they had settled in their seats, Austin stole a glance at the message.

"Everything okay?" Ally asked Austin, noticing his wide eyes as he looked at his phone.

"Ally! Theodore Adams wants to meet with me tomorrow!" he whispered excitedly to her as the lights dimmed, signaling that the show was about to start. Ally smiled wide and opened her mouth to respond when her phone vibrated. Austin had turned his attention to the recital as a tiny girl walked out, preparing to recite a short opening monologue. With his attention gone, Ally looked at her phone and upon seeing the number, held back a sigh before sending it to voicemail. A simple phone call was not going to upset her, not now.

The recital was not long and before they knew it, there was only the final song left which happened to be the one that Nelson was playing. As the little boy made his way across the stage, his eyes connected with Ally's and he waved to her while mouthing "Hi Ally!" The cute action earned a giggle from Ally as well as surrounding parents.

Ally took a deep breath and cross her legs before gripping the arm rest of the chair. All their hard work came to this. The anticipation had begun to get to her and Ally wanted him to just start playing.

"He's going to do fine," Austin whispered to her, giving her a reassuring smile and placing his hand overs hers, trying to loosen her grip on the poor arm rest. Ally just nodded at him before uncrossing and re-crossing her legs once more.

Nelson's fingers had played the song almost perfectly, his clammy fingers slipping twice and hitting a different key on accident. Ally had relaxed halfway through the song, and she let out a breath of air once the song had ended. She stood up with Austin and the other families of the second graders as they applauded the performances.

When the auditorium had begun emptying out, Austin and Ally stood in the back near the doors and waited for Nelson and his mother to meet up with them. Their eyes landed upon the head of sandy curls as the boy that they belonged to came bounding towards them.

"Hey, great job Nelson!" Austin said as he gave the little boy a high-five. Nelson had a wide smile on his face as he high-fived the singer. His smile only widened as he turned his attention to Ally, the gaps from his teeth growing more obvious the wider he smiled.

"Did you see me, Ally?" he asked her through his excitement, his mother laughing slightly behind him.

"Yeah Nelson!" she said, smiling as she bent slightly to his level. "You did amazing!" Nelson responded by giving Ally an enthusiastic hug. Austin chuckled with Nelson's mother as Ally looked surprised.

"Thank you for the extra lessons. You're obviously an amazing teacher," the little boy's mother said to Ally, once the two departed from their hug. Ally blushed at her compliment as she shrugged off the extra lessons.

Austin had bent down on one knee so his eyes were level with Nelson's. "Trish and Dez are really sorry that they can't come. Dez did give me his pants to give you but I don't think you'd want it," the blonde said with a laugh. Nelson nodded his head as he had come to know the crazy antics of each member of the group. "You did great though," he said with a smile as he held out his fist. The little boy pounded his tiny fist against the singer's bigger one.

"Nelson, honey, we have to go," the boy's mother said. "I'll see you next week for Nelson's next lesson." The family bid their farewells to the dup before walking away.

"He did really well," Ally said in a shocked tone as she and Austin made their way to his mother's awaiting car. "I mean, I knew he would do well-"

"Like his mom said, Nelson had a great teacher," her best friend spoke with a smile. Ally ducked her head to hide her blushing cheeks.

"But I felt like he was so distracted every time he had his lessons!"

"He has a crush on you, Alls," Austin said, speaking the obvious as he held open the back door of his mother's car. Ally sat down in the back seat, giving Mrs. Moon a friendly hello.

"No he doesn't," Ally responded in denial once the car had started moving. She turned her head to the blonde boy beside her who was laughing. "And what is so funny, Austin?" she asked, clearly frustrated.

"Yes he does Ally. If I remember correctly, he told me he got distracted by you beauty. He's a cute little second grader with a crush on you Ally, accept it," Austin said with a smile and a shake of the head. Ally just rolled her eyes, mumbling to herself. Mrs. Moon had laughed at the duo and Ally suddenly stopped mumbling, head snapping up and her eyes widening. She had completely forgotten about Austin's mother in the car, despite the fact that she was driving.

Other than that, the short drive to Ally's house had gone by in a comfortable silence. When the black car pulled up to her house, Ally thanked Mrs. Moon and bid her goodbye before getting out of the car after Austin. The songwriter smiled up at her best friend as he walked her to her door.

"Thanks for coming to the recital tonight. Nelson really looks up to you so it meant a lot to him," she spoke once they reached her door. Ally dug through her clutch, looking for her house keys.

"It's no problem. He did well. Even if he does have a crush on his teacher," Austin spoke, a teasing smile dancing on his face. Ally rolled her eyes, shook her head, and pulled out her keys.

"Goodnight Austin," Ally said, slipping her keys into the door lock.

"Goodnight Ally," Austin said though he didn't move. Ally turned towards him, about to question him when he spoke again. "Though, it's understandable how he could get distracted by your beauty. I'm surprised he didn't completely forget the song when he saw you from the stage." Austin paused before giving the speechless Ally a smile. He made his way down her walkway and shouted back to her, "Night Ally! See you tomorrow for Theodore Adams!"

Ally stood in the doorway of her house, watching as the Moon car drove away. Her mind ran over the few sentences that Austin had left her with. She spoke her thoughts aloud before heading into her house with a shake of her head. "Did he just indirectly say I was pretty?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hi everyone! I think the only reference to "Tickets &amp; Trashbags" is really Ally's dress and just that the Miami Internet Music Awards was a disaster. So, yeah.<strong>

**I apologize if this chapter makes anyone slightly out of character. But YAY! The actual plot really starts getting along in the next chapter with Austin and Theodore Adams (and Ally? Psh, Austin, did it say you could bring- FORGET WHAT I JUST SAID. NEVERMIND. Heh. hi.).**

**Thank you all for either favoriting this story, putting it on your alerts, or even reviewing! Seriously, every single one of those makes me smile. I'm sorry but I have no idea when I'm going to be able to update next. Midterms for me start tomorrow and go until next Friday (no, I don't have it every day but I have a ton of studying that I probably should have started but no, I decided this story was much more important haha).**

**Thank you to Bubblelina15, Unicornsaremagical, squirtlepokemon215, Taylorcutie, and jazzmonkey for your reviews!**

**Bubblelina15: Haha YAY! I wanted him to be a sort of good guy for once! And hey, at least he paid the check! hahah :)**

**Unicornsaremagical: I'm glad you got the references! WOOO! I'm glad you still think he was a good guy! Bonus points for me! Hahaha :)**

**squirtlepokemon215: You like it better? YAAAY! :D I'm really glad I'm improving! :)**

**Taylorcutie: Haha well, I figured if she was the one getting dumped, Austin could help her cope (even though you don't really see much of that). :) heh, I just love them together.**

**jazzmonkey: Hahahaha exactly! That way Austin could help her out of it, express his feelings for her, they fall madly in love- wait, damn. That sadly didn't happen in my story. BUT on the bright side, I have the rest of the story planned out in my head and I know how I'm going to end it. :)**

**I love talking to anyone and everyone that reviews. Besides the fact that you guys give me insight to your thoughts and have comments on my chapter, I meet some pretty epic people through it. So you should review that way we could talk. I like talking. Especially about Austin & Ally, StarKid, any band or any kind of music for that matter, and just random nonsense.**

**I really want to start getting this story moving and get certain chapters out before "Managers & Meatballs" because apparently Austin gets whoo-ed by a music producer who wants to replace his whole team (Ally, Trish, Dez). When I read that, I was just like "NO! If I post certain stuff after people might think I took it from the episode!" Just to let you all know, I have the rest of the story planned out in my head. I know where I'm going it's just a matter of writing it down and filling in certain areas.**

**Wow, that was a lot. I apologize. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

**Until next time... :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Behind the Music

Chapter 7

* * *

><p><em>"Everything's on fire<em>  
><em>The war outside our door keeps raging on<em>  
><em>Hold onto this lullaby<em>  
><em>Even when the music's gone…"<em>

* * *

><p>It had been a habit that Ally noticed Austin pick up. He would always play with the zippers on his hoodies whenever he didn't know what to do*. And as the duo stood in silence in the elevator on their way to the nineteenth floor of the skyscraper, there was not much to do.<p>

The sliver elevator doors opened to reveal a lavish waiting room with a dark mahogany desk. Ally gave Austin a look before he led them to the awaiting receptionist.

Austin cleared his throat before speaking. "Hi, we're here to see Theodore Adams," he said, gesturing between himself and Ally who shyly stood behind him. She offered a small smile to the receptionist who completely ignored her.

"Do you have an appointment?" the woman behind the desk asked, raising an eyebrow at Austin.

"Yeah. I'm Austin Moon," he spoke with a confident smile. The receptionist only nodded her head as she typed away on the computer.

"Mr. Adams will meet you in room A-9." The receptionist only pointed down a hallway, not glancing in the pair's direction as she continued her typing. Austin turned towards his best friend and shrugged before leading them down the hall.

Wooden doors lined the hallways, each one looking brand new next to the shiny black sign that engraved the room number. A-9 quickly appeared before them and the two entered the room cautiously. Ally's mouth dropped as she stepped inside.

Room A-9 was an elaborate recording studio. Ally let her eyes travel past the gigantic soundboard with more buttons and options than she thought possible. Her eyes landed on the recording booth. In the corner of the booth was a black grand piano. It looked brand new, like everything else in the building, and it called for her to play it.

"Ally! Look at this!" Austin exclaimed, rushing into the booth and picking up a brand new Render** guitar.

"Austin, maybe we shouldn't be touching the instruments," Ally said, trying to prevent her best friend from damaging something. She was pretty sure that a record company wouldn't be as lenient about broken instruments as Ally and her dad have been. Though, Ally's fingers itched to play the piano.

Austin gave her a smile, like he knew what she was thinking. "Go play the piano. I promise I won't break anything!" he began and started walking towards the piano, guitar in hand, before he nearly fell over a wire. "Starting now," he said with a sheepish smile. Ally laughed and joined him at the piano, sitting on the bench.

Her fingers gently touched the black and white keys, the coldness of it making her shiver. She let a moment pass so she could take it all in. When the moment passed, Ally smiled wide before pressing her fingers down, letting them dance furiously along the piano.

She took notice of Austin setting the guitar down and sitting beside her. Her fingers continued gliding as she looked beside her. Her smile widened as Austin began singing.

"Excuse me?" a voice called out into the room. Ally panicked and her fingers created a disturbing noise. She winced as she rushed to stand, Austin doing the same. Standing in front of them stood Theodore Adams. He was wearing another black business suit and his arms were crossed, signaling to Ally that something was wrong.

The songwriter immediately mentally face-palmed as she realized the president of Thrills Records did not approve of them, more specifically her, playing the instruments.

"Hi, Mr. Adams," Austin said as they exited the recording booth and offered his hand to the tall man. Theodore Adams was about a head taller than Austin and completely bald. 'He probably shaves it,' Ally concluded considering the fact that Mr. Adams was only in his young forties. The president kept his features stony as he shook Austin's hand.

"Good afternoon, Austin. I didn't realize we were having company," the man said, giving Ally a once-over. His facial expression showed that he wasn't impressed with nor desired her presence. She felt herself shrink back, hiding behind Austin once more.

"Well, she's my partner," Austin said, grabbing Ally's wrist and gently pulling her to stand beside him. "We're a team." Ally looked up at Austin and smiled at him. Sometimes she forgot how much she appreciated him in her life.

"Well then," Theodore said, rubbing his hands together. "Austin, I'd like to have you sample some songs, record a couple of demos. If I like them, I think we have a contract coming your way." Austin smiled wide at this announcement. Ally couldn't believe her ears. The president of one of the most popular record companies wanted Austin to sing personally for him and then Austin could get signed. It seemed so surreal.

"Let's get started!" the singer exclaimed in excitement.

* * *

><p>Ally stood in front of the soundboard beside the man who operated it. She smiled and gave Austin a thumbs up as he adjusted the headphones. She bounced on her heels in anticipation. Austin was not one to do covers. He wanted to be original, not copying another artist. But for Theodore Adams, Ally realized that Austin would break this rule for him.<p>

Her eyes watched as his hands traveled to the bottom of his hoodie, playing with the zippers as he waited for the music to begin. He gave Ally a small smile before glancing down at the lyric sheet in front of him. The music soon started and Ally watched as Austin sang his heart out.

The lyricist was aware of Theodore Adams standing behind her, listening to Austin's vocals as they filled the room. Her heartbeat began racing as her mind traveled to thoughts of what could happen if Austin got signed. What would happen to her? There were dozens of other songwriters, more talented than she, that would give an arm and a leg to write for Theodore Adams' next biggest star. Because if he was personally working with an artist then everyone knew that the singer had more than just talent and star potential.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe this!" Austin said as he cheered once himself and Ally entered the parking garage beside the tall, metal skyscraper. He held in his hands about sixty pieces of paper, all kept together in a binder. It was a contract for Austin to sign with Thrills Records. If he signed, he'd eventually be able to play in Times Square on New Year's Eve, the true sign of making it.<p>

Austin glanced to the brown haired girl beside him as they reached his mother's car. She had given him a tight hug when Austin showed her the contract and a smile graced her features for the majority of the time in the building. But as they entered the car, Austin saw her smile falter a bit. After he took his seat and buckled up, he turned towards his partner.

"Are you okay?" he asked her quietly and gently. She seemed to have snapped out of a trace and turned towards him, the big smile back on her face.

"What?" she said before quickly recovering. "Oh, sorry. I'm fine, just a little tired." Austin nodded his head, only partially believing her due to the fact that they spent hours in the studio. But something bothered him about the fact that the smile dropped from her face once she thought he wasn't looking. He knew she wasn't fine and he needed to find a way to make her okay again.

All too soon the car had pulled up to Ally's house. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door before remembering to say goodbye.

"I'm really proud and happy for you," she said softly, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek before saying goodbye. Austin watched her retreating figure as she walked into her house. He thought of how close his relationship with Ally has become. He had tried giving her a hug when they finished "Break Down the Walls" when she had only offered a handshake. Her handshake offer grew into a quick hug, which grew into longer hugs, which evolved into a kiss on a cheek. He didn't want the recording contract to send their relationship ten steps back when it took them forever to move five steps forward.

A sigh escaped his lips when the car began driving away. He was ecstatic about being offered a recording contract but he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he wasn't sure what it was for. Maybe it was due to the fact that Austin knew that the second he signed a recording contract, his life, and the lives of his friends, would change forever.

* * *

><p>"And this Theodore Adams… He offered you a contract?" Mr. Moon asked Austin during dinner that night. Austin only nodded his head. Mr. Moon was not an overly affectionate person. He was a lawyer, spending more time on his cases than with his family. But despite what Austin seemed to believe most of the time, he cared deeply about his family.<p>

"Dad, this is my chance! This just shows you that music isn't a waste of time! I can make a career out of this! You told me that I had a bazillion in one chance of making it and guess what? This is that one chance!" Austin passionately exclaimed, forgetting the spaghetti on his fork as he spoke, causing a piece to hit his mother. He gave her an apologetic look before turning his attention back to his father.

"Austin, the entertainment business is unpredictable. You cannot guarantee a stable career."

Austin just stabbed his food with his fork. His father just did not understand what this meant to him. Music was his life; it became a part of him. The contract offer, it had been what he always dreamed of. How can his father not see that? Can't he just be happy for his son for once?

"Well I think that this is an amazing opportunity for you," his mother supplied in an attempt to prevent a fight breaking out between father and son.

Austin glared at his food as silence fell over the kitchen. It began to eat away at him and made him feel uncomfortable. His slowly looked up, seeing that a recording contract offered to his son was no big deal to the man. Austin slammed his fork down on his plate and abruptly stood up, his chair almost falling over.

"Why can't you just support me for once? Why can't you be happy that I am following my dreams?" Austin yelled at his father. Mr. Moon placed his silverware down before looking up at his fuming son.

"Sit down, Austin."

"Do you even understand how much this means to me?-"

"Austin…"

"-I mean, this recording contract could even help me get through college!-"

"Austin. Sit down."

"-This could set me up for the rest of my life! And I'll be doing what I love, unlike you!-"

"Austin! You are not doing the recording contract! End of discussion. And I said **sit down**!" Mr. Moon yelled, his voice booming throughout the kitchen as he stood. Silence fell over the kitchen once more. Austin stood, his hands balled up into fists, glaring at his father. Without another word, Austin moved away from the table and towards the island. He grabbed the contract on the counter, walked towards the garbage can and made sure his father was watching him. He angrily threw the contract in there, hearing it hit the bottom, and stormed out of the room. Mr. Moon sat back down with a sigh, his wife squeezing his hand slightly before cleaning off the table.

Austin climbed the stairs to his room, upset at the fight that broke out during dinner. He was convinced that nothing he would do could make his father proud of him.

* * *

><p><strong>*Anyone else Ross Lynch doing this? Oh, only me? Okay then.<strong>

****Render is a play on Fender. Because I'm unoriginal and very lazy.**

**So hi everyone! Ah, I saw "Managers & Meatballs". . Okay, fangirling done.**

**Anyway, I'm sorry this chapter is a little shorter than the previous two. It's kind of a filler yet it's not. I hope you all enjoyed the last bit between Austin & his dad. I feel like their relationship isn't that bad, it's just a little damaged. I feel that Austin & his music career and the lack of his father's support is really causing the rift in their relationship.**

**Thank you so much to everyone that favorited, put this on their alerts, anything and everything! It really does mean a lot to me! So much! Thank you jazzmonkey, ctiger, squirtlepokemon215, WolfChick101, and VeVe2491 for reviewing!**

**jazzmonkey: AH! I flipped out (in a good way) when I read your review. I am so glad you want more Dez (sorry that he's not in this chapter!) because I have such a big chapter for him (importance wise I mean, not too sure how long the chapter would be)! Trish will have a big part later in the story as well! But I'm glad you want more Dez! It makes me feel so much more confident in the plans I have for him. YAY! Haha I feel like Nelson definitely has a crush on Ally so how could I NOT put that in there? Thank you so much for your kind words! It means a lot! :)**

**ctiger: I'm not sure how soon he'll go after her to have him as his girlfriend buuuuuut I can definitely say that there's going to be some Austin/Ally moments coming up soon! It's going to hinder it somewhat, trust me! But don't worry, I have big plans in store for the group! :)**

**squirtlepokemon215: I'm so glad you loved Austin's comment for Ally! YAY! I'm sorry you had to wait a little while for the update. I feel like Sundays/Mondays are my update days... Haha**

**WolfChick101: YAY! I'm glad you found the way he complimented her sweet. Oh my gosh, I love Scouting for Girls too! I've heard a few versions of the song but I have to say, I love theirs the best! They're one of my favorite bands too! :)**

**VeVe2491: Haha YAY FOR HAPPY DANCING! Wooo! I'm glad you loved it! :)**

**Seriously, I love seeing your reviews. I literally fangirl and happy dance every time I get an e-mail from FanFiction. I go crazy when I see it's a review and I can't get the smile off of my face! YAY! You all are so amazing! If you have any comments, critism, anything, tell me. I love hearing from you all! And I love talking to you guys about the show, considering I fangirl over every little thing about it usually. Haha I really love it.**

**Sorry for the lack of Dez and Trish. They have such a huge part later in the story. It's vital to the plot. I have everything all planned out in my mind so I know that they are esstential to keep the story going.**

**I'll try to update soon! But until then, please leave me your thoughts and whatnot. :)**

**Until next time...**


	8. Chapter 8

Behind the Music

Chapter 8

* * *

><p>"<em>I'll keep my secrets closed<br>I'll keep my secrets from you  
>I'm not the one you thought you knew<br>This time the joke is all on you  
>I'll keep my secrets closed<br>I'll keep my secrets from you."_

* * *

><p><em>The brown haired brunette smiled at him like she had done so many times before. Austin had rushed off the stage and over to where she stood. Ignoring the immense amount of sweat that was dripping from his body, Ally pulled the blond singer close, draping her arms around his neck. Still on his concert high, he wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and twirled her. Pulling away slightly, the two looked at each other and smiled wide before Austin leaned in, Ally moving to meet him halfway-*<em>

* * *

><p>The ringing of his phone awoke Austin from his deep sleep. He had passed out around three in the morning. All night his mind had been racing, thinking over what happened at dinner the previous night. With a sigh, he ran his hand over his face before groggily reaching onto his end table and answering his phone.<p>

"Hel-"

"Do zaliens ever throw up your brain after they suck it?" a familiar voice asked quickly into the phone. Austin could barely comprehend what his red haired best friend had said but years of practice gave him experience to his friend's ramblings.

"Aren't you the zalien expert?" Austin asked, glancing over at his digital clock. He held back a groan as he read the red lights – _7:40 AM_. He sat up in his bed, bringing his knees close to his chest before placing his elbows atop of them.

"Er – right." Dez's voice said, a little hesitant.

"So," the blond said into the phone, "why do you want to know if a zalien ever throws up a brain after they suck it?" He waited for a long, silent moment before Dez began a new ramble.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that a zalien came into my room and sucked my brain… then threw it up back into my brain! My thinking has been all screwed up and I know that it is something alien!" Austin could imagine his best friend pacing around his bedroom and he instantly felt bad for the red haired male.

"What do you mean your thinking has been all screwed up?" the singer asked, getting up from his bed. He travelled over to his desk and sat down, opening his laptop to check how his fans liked their new video.

"I can't get this stupid girl out of my head. I swear, zaliens are real and they think I knew too much about them so they sucked my brain, contaminated it, and then threw it back up into my head!" Panic was evident in Dez's voice and Austin could begin hearing his deep breaths.

"You're all worked up like this because of a girl?" Austin asked, switching the phone to his other ear. "Dez, that makes no sense. You've liked plenty of other girls." His fingers typed the address of his website into the URL space and he waited silently for Dez's response.

"But," Dez's voice grew desperate as he continued to speak. "She's different." The blond noticed the lowering of his friend's voice and smiled a bit. This girl must be really special to screw him up so much.

"Tell me about the girl that's got you going crazy," he said, hoping he could find a way to get Dez with this girl and out of his funk. He leaned back in his desk chair, waiting for the page that held new video to load.

Austin heard Dez sigh before speaking. "She's short… really short." A certain brown haired songwriter entered Austin's mind and he absentmindedly smiled. "Her hair…" Dez began again, a dreamy sigh escaping his lips. "Her hair smells so good and it's so soft, like my feet," Austin's mind instantly left the subject of Ally as a disgusted expression made its way upon his face.

"Who is she?" the singer asked. He hoped that Dez didn't have a crush on his partner. It wasn't that Austin liked her, oh no, he could not like his songwriter. He cared too much about their friendship to let himself fall in love with her. Besides, she deserved better than a rising rock star, someone who wouldn't give her the time that she wanted, needed, and deserved. And it wasn't that he didn't think Dez wasn't worthy of being Ally's boyfriend, he was just convinced that they wouldn't last. He did not want Ally to be broken hearted again.

"Trish," his friend muttered in a quiet voice. So quiet that Austin wasn't sure he heard right the first time.

"Trish?" he asked, wanting confirmation from his crazy friend.

"Yes! Laugh all you want but I'm going to blame it on the zaliens!" Austin let out a happy sigh of relief and laughed.

"Whatever you say, Dez."

* * *

><p>Austin had changed out of his pajamas and walked downstairs to the kitchen. He saw his mother gathering her papers into her briefcase, her pin straight blond hair blocking her face as she made sure she had all her papers. The male made his way to the refrigerator and grabbed a water bottle.<p>

"Here," his mother said, sliding a pile of papers across the table to the younger Moon. He glanced down at it before nearly choking on his water. There, in front of him, was a revised copy of his original contract with signatures from both of his parents. He looked up in surprise and opened his mouth to question his mother but she stopped him, kissing his forehead. "Your father was up most of the night negotiating with the record company." Mrs. Moon said goodbye to her son before leaving.

Austin quickly read over the green post-it note stuck to the top of the first page. On it read, "_Team Austin stays together._" Below the sentence were numbers referring to the pages in which that statement was contained. Austin smiled wide and picked up the contract before running towards the living room.

"I want those drum sticks out of here now, Austin," Mr. Moon said, pointing to the two wooden sticks on the coffee table as he put on his trench coat. Austin quickly grabbed them, shoved them in his back pocket, and opened his mouth to thank his father but the older Moon had already left, the door closing right behind him. With a sigh, the singer grabbed his keys and made sure the contract was safe before exiting as well, heading off to Sonic Boom to share the news with his partner.

* * *

><p><strong>* This is just Austin's dream. So if you didn't catch on to that.<strong>

**The conversation between Dez and Austin was inspired by my friend's little brother.. who believes that aliens make guys likes girls and such. He's an adorable little kid and it just reminded me so much of Dez!**

**I am probably the worst writer out there right now because this chapter was really short and super crappy. So I apologize. I really don't deserve the _amazing_48 reviews I have gotten so far. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! :) lessthanthree. Yeah, while you read this chapter, I fangirled over the reviews. Thank you all so much! You're all seriously so kind and amazing and I love you guys!**

**Thank you to everyone who either put this on alert, favorited it, silently reads this, or reviews. Seriously, you all are amazing. BIG thank yous to everyone that reviewed! Ah! You've all gotten me this many reviews and I love you all!**

**Review responses:**

**imadisneygirl: Thank you for both of your reviews! YAY! I'm glad you like the Austin & Ally relationship in this! You made me smile really big so thank you so much! :)**

**calmwannabe21: Thank you so much for your kind words! I watched "Managers & Meatballs" on Disney Channel On Demand. :)**

**R5forLIFE: Let me start off by saying I absolutely love your username! Seriously. Hahah YAY! I'm not alone in noticing that. I swear, every single time I watch Austin & Ally now, I automatically notice him doing that. It's really adorable! :)**

**ctiger: I'm sorry I'm a little late to responding to this concerning the part about "Managers & Meatballs". I hope you enjoyed it yesterday! Didn't you just absolutely love the Auslly hug? Ah, so cute! I couldn't stop fangirling. :)**

**moonlit echoes: Hahah, again, I'm sorry about "Managers & Meatballs". I'm glad that you like that everything's taking its time. I'm scared because I feel like everything is going to speed up soon but I don't want to be rushing through things. Thank you though for your very kind words! :)**

**squirtlepokemon215: HAHAHAHA! I laughed so hard at your review! You made my day! :D I have such big plans concerning Mr. Moon! I'm so excited for you to see it! :D**

**jazzmonkey: Ah, thank you for that about the suspenseful touch. Hm... Did I foreshadow a bit too? No comment. ;) There is a very important back story that will be revealed later concerning his father. Yikes! Can you say more fights coming their way? I'm really glad you liked the fight! I felt like it **needed** to be in there but I didn't want to do too much or too little. I was really nervous about it. But YAY! You liked it! :D**

**AnimeRoxx: YAY! Thank you so much for your review. You are just too kind! :)**

**Again, I am so sorry for this chapter. But the next few chapters will make up for it! I really hope you guys don't lose hope! Thank you all for your support so far; you're all superly amazing. :)**

**Until next time... :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Behind the Music

Chapter 9

* * *

><p>"<em>You think differently<em>

_So don't get lost inside the sea_

_Don't forget yourself_

_And I'm begging_

_Don't forget me_

_Not me, yeah."_

* * *

><p>Ally watched as Trish made her way towards the entrance of Sonic Boom, already bored of her job at the burger joint. She had really become desperate but her mother agreed to match what she made so she could buy a car. The Latina tugged her insane curls behind her ears and sighed in relief once entering the comfort that was Sonic Boom.<p>

"I can't believe you're already over _Grubbies_. I thought you would have lasted another hour considering Frankie from history worked there," Ally said to her best friend with a laugh and a smile. The shorter girl sighed and leaned on the counter, her _Grubbies_ uniform wrinkled and smelling of hamburger meat.

"Yeah, well his _girlfriend_ called in for him so he didn't work today," Trish said, the annoyance clear in her voice as she glared at the counter beside Ally.

"Oh Trish, I'm really sorry." The songwriter sent her friend a sympathetic smile. Ally knew how much Trish had been crushing on the sandy haired beauty and if you asked her, she would have said that he was into Trish just as much. "We could have a girls night later, no Austin or Dez bugging us." She watched as Trish's face lit up at the idea.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Where are Austin and Dez?" Trish asked, suddenly standing up straight.

"Austin - I have no idea. As for Dez..." she shook, obviously weirded out by his antics. "Dez ran in, mentioned something about Zaliens yacking something up, and then ran upstairs." At this mention of the boy and his whereabouts, the red head emerged from the practice room holding pieces of paper, cotton balls, glue, and scissors. He smiled as he descended down the steps but it instantly dropped off his face when he spotted the girls. Slowly, he made his way to the side of the counter closest to the drums, the complete opposite side as Trish.

"What are you doing?" the Latina questioned, pointing to the various shapes of the paper. All of the pieces of paper had cotton balls glued to them; some pieces were bunnies, others were fishes, and more were ice cream. The paper on top looked like it had just been taken out of the printer, had glue smeared upon it, and then random cotton balls mixed about.

"Making clouds," Dez said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He glued the last cotton ball onto the square paper before lifting it and figuring out where he should cut from.

"Are you cutting the shapes out?" Ally asked, confused and questioning looks flickering on her face. Dez nodded and made a round cut. "Wouldn't it have been easier to cut out the shapes then glue the cotton balls to the paper?"

Dez grabbed a cotton ball from his container and tried to cut it into a bunny. When it didn't work, he threw the cotton ball at Trish out of frustration. "No." Ally shot Trish a look, both knowing that Dez didn't understand what Ally meant. How hard was it to understand to cut the shapes out on the _paper_ first before gluing the cotton balls to the paper?

"Dez, were you drop-kicked across the room as a baby?" Trish asked, a serious look covering her face. The tall, lanky boy opened his mouth to respond when Trish's ringtone rang out, ending their conversation. "Hello?" she said before moving away from her two friends.

"Hey Ally?" Dez said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice for the boy. Ally faced him, an eyebrow raised. "How do you know when you like someone?" His voice got quieter and quieter the more he spoke. Ally had to strain her ears just to hear him. The brunette opened her mouth to respond when she caught where the red head was looking. Her mouth popped open from the bit of shock she felt and she couldn't suppress the smile from making its way onto her face.

"Oh my gosh," Ally said quietly with a smile. She raised her finger as if it had finally struck her. "You like-"

"Ally!" Austin yelled, running into the store. Trish turned and gave him a dark glare from her spot before returning to her phone call. Austin had shrunk slightly from the glare but returned to his usual self once he had Ally and Dez's full attention. He also noted the relieved look on his red haired best friend's face though he pushed it aside for the moment.

"Austin, what's going on?" Ally asked, laughing a bit as she took in his disheveled appearance. "Did you run here from your house?" She raised her eyebrow as the blond leaned on the counter in an attempt to catch his breath.

"You'll never guess what happened!" The smile on his face couldn't get any wider. He couldn't wait for her to guess, no matter how good she was at it. "My dad signed my contract! And Team Austin stays together!" he shouted.

"No way!" she exclaimed, rushing to the other side of the counter in order to embrace him. Her arms found their way around his neck, a common place for them now-a-days. Austin's arms encircled the petite songwriter in his arms, pulling her closer. She smelled like apples and cinnamon, his second favorite snack.

They heard Dez sigh before quickly wrapping his arms around the duo. Ally laughed a bit and Austin left his arms open for Trish to join their group hug like she always did. But when Austin still only grasped air a few minutes later, he pulled back slightly and sent Ally a quizzical look before they both turned towards Trish. Dez raised an eyebrow as he watched the short Latina slowly close her phone, her smile big.

"Austin, Theodore Adams wants Team Austin to fly out to Los Angeles next weekend!" she yelled to the group in excitement. A few of the customers just shared looks before continuing their browsing.

"What?" he said in disbelief as the group hug ended. The three of them turned towards Trish, awaiting a full explanation.

"That was just Thrills Records. They want us to go to LA so Austin could work with the record company. He might even start recording an album!" The group let out yells of excitement before Austin pulled them all into another group hug.

Things were definitely looking up.

* * *

><p>The smell of buttered popcorn reached Ally's nose and she couldn't help but let out a sigh of content. She placed a jar of pickles beside the big bowl of salty goodness. Her hand opened the DVD case, slipping the movie into the player before she sat on the couch. She was happy that she was finally in the comfort of her pajamas. Trish greeted her with a smile as the short Latina grabbed a handful of popcorn.<p>

"Why do girls watch romantic movies when they're sad about being single?" she had asked, popping another piece of popcorn into her mouth.

Ally shrugged as she mulled over the question. "Because it makes us hopeful, happy, and sad at the same time," she offered helplessly. The movie began but neither girl seemed to be able to concentrate on it. It wasn't due to the fact that they've seen the movie a thousand times before. No, it was because each girl was too busy thinking of something else. "Are you nervous about going to LA?" Ally asked. Their eyes were still trained on the television but each knew that the other had their undivided attention.

"No, why would I be?" she responded. Trish turned to see that Ally had begun munching on a pickle. Her munching had become more passionate; Trish picked up on it fourth grade, knowing that it meant that Ally was nervous. It was her substitute when she couldn't chew on her hair.

"Well," Ally said, swallowing her pickle. "What does this mean for Austin?"

"He's going to be a rock-star," the tone that Trish's voice held told Ally that the answer was obvious and they both knew it.

"Not what I meant," the songstress said. "Never mind." She turned her back to the movie on the television. The main male character had been running up and down the aisles of a grocery store in a desperate search of the girl who looked so much like his long lost love.

"Ally, what's going on?" It had become clear that Trish knew she was hiding something and was determined to figure it out.

"I'm scared." The soft voice that escaped from Ally's mouth did not sound much like the songwriter. She never sounded as vulnerable as she did, not including everything that happened with Dallas. Ally reached forward to grab another pickle, not only to appease her nervous habit but also because she could hear her stomach growling. Had it really been that long since lunch?

Trish's hand landed on her best friend's wrist, stopping her from grabbing the pickle. "Why?" she asked in a voice much unlike the fiery tone she usually held.

"I don't want him to forget about us," she said in a small voice. Noticing the look on Trish's face, Ally clarified the statement. "I mean, this is Hollywood. He could become even huger than her already is and there'll be people over there that are so much better than us. And I feel like a horrible friend right now for thinking it but you know how I think of the worst during these situations so I can't really help it." Ally stopped to take a breath before rushing into another ramble.

"Austin's an amazing friend, I honestly don't know what I'd do without him in my life now, you know? He said he doesn't want to live his dreams without his friends but what if he meets better, cooler friends?-"

"Ally, stop." At Trish's command, the musician stopped her rant. "Austin will not leave any of us behind, especially not you. I thought you knew that already, especially after everything with Demonica." She watched as the other girl let out a deep sigh.

"I know Trish, I know." The short girl left it at that, knowing that there was some other reason Ally had for why she was so scared of Austin going to LA. And Trish was certain that not even Ally knew the reason. Leaning back on the couch, the curly haired girl decided to formulate a plan to discover this reason. After all, it was a win-win; Ally wouldn't be as bothered and Trish would be able to snoop able, something she loved to do.

The night continued as their sleepovers usually do but when Trish had fallen asleep while watching they watched the last Harry Potter movie, Ally couldn't help but lay back and wonder why she was so bothered.

Austin cared about her and their friends so he wouldn't leave them. He loved them all but for some reason, Ally felt like she was missing something. There was a feeling in the bottom of her stomach, making her feel like she needed to be sick. It felt like it was almost telling her that she wanted more.

The brown haired songwriter shook her head and snuggled up in her blankets, watching as the Battle of Hogwarts commenced. She just needs to fall asleep and then she'll feel better.

* * *

><p><strong>I really want to apologize for not updating last week. I left you guys with a really short chapter and didn't even make up for it. I am so sorry! I have no excuses other than I am a horrible writer. Hahaha, so sorry. :)<strong>

**I was really surprised when you guys reviewed on that last chapter. So WOW, thank you! So SO much! I want to hug everyone and tell you all that I love you guys! Thank you to everyone who added this to their favorites, alerts, reviewed, are silent readers, everyone. Thank you all so much!**

ctiger: **Thank you so much! I love that you liked the conversation. I find Dez really hard to keep in character because I feel like if he's too crazy, he'll be out of character. I hope he's in character here and that you like his little part in this chapter! Thank you again! :)**

imadisneygirl: **Thank you so so so much! It makes me so happy that you think this keeps getting better and better. I fangirled a bit. Hahaha:)**

jazzmonkey: **Thank you! I have this idea in my head that Dez is actually really smart when it comes to things like school and his feelings. I feel that that's the place where he really excels (besides film, of course!). Thank you again! :)**

squirtlepokemon215: **Well, you might want to keep Yourso and Deadmeat around because there's going to be some more fights in the future. ;) That made me smile so much that you thought this was funny! I am not a funny person at all so thank you! I though that **_same _**thing while watching "Bloggers & Butterflies". I was like "TILLY LIKES AUSTIN! NO! JUST NO." I kind of wanted to put her in here to have a love triangle thing but it's just not working out. :( But I hope the writers do. Hahah thank you again! :)**

Missme02: **Your reviews just made me smile sooooo big! Thank you so much! I'm glad you giggled! Hahaha :)**

R5forLIFE: **I really agree with you! So much! Haha yes, everything he does is adorable. Is it legal to be that amazing? :)**

**So, I have a few heads up for you guys. Hm, well, I am going on February break next week so maybe more updates next week? YAY! I'm trying really hard to get out a one-shot for Valentine's Day so I'm going to try my hardest. There's going to be a sequel for this story. What? I said nothing. ;)**

**Thank you all again! I really appreciate everything! :)**

**Until next time... :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Behind the Music

Chapter 10

* * *

><p>"<em>Hollywood is the time<br>The stars are shining  
>For you and me tonight in this city<br>Where dreams are made of…_"

* * *

><p>If there had been one thing that Patricia Maria de la Rosa always needed, it would be control. She needed to have control over everything in her life, a sort of comfort for her. Having control meant she wouldn't get any unwelcome surprises. So when the opportunity came to fly with the rest of Team Austin (plus his mother) to Los Angeles, she jumped at the chance, completely forgetting that they'd be flying. Because since she wouldn't be flying the plane, that meant she didn't have control.<p>

Her tiny hand gripped the arm rest tightly, her eyes darting every which way on the plane. Trish glanced at Mrs. Moon who sat between herself and Ally. The blonde haired woman sat calmly, her eyes closed though the Latina could tell she was still semi-conscious. Her dark eyes drifted towards Ally.

Her best friend sat in her window seat, furiously scribbling away in her songbook. The brown haired girl spent the first hour and a half of their nearly four and a half hour flight like that. Releasing one of the armrests, Trish leaned over Mrs. Moon and poked Ally. She jumped in her seat before glaring at Trish.

"What 'cha writing?" the short girl asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. Ally closed her songbook quickly and gave her friend a sympathetic look, having noticed her faltering voice.

"Trish, I am so sorry! I forgot that you hate flying!" Trish narrowed her eyes at the girl.

"I don't hate flying. I just hate not being in control," she said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. Ally rolled her eyes before patting her best friend's hand.

So what if at times Trish forgot details about Ally's life? It didn't make her any less of a best friend. Trish was her confidant, the person she could go to for anything. And Ally was the same to her.

They were eight and Trish had been invited to go to New York with Ally to visit her cousins. The group got along really well and the Latina girl had spent her entire summer thinking about the trip. It was then that she noticed how much she hated having a lack of control. The way that she couldn't take charge of a situation made her feel insecure, weak.

A bit of turbulence shook Trish out of her thoughts and she squeezed Ally's hand, looking over to her best friend from her aisle seat.

"Trish, it's only a couple more hours. Put your iPod on and try to fall asleep. It'll pass quicker that way," Ally suggested. Trish nodded and relinquished the other armrest of her remaining hand, using it to dig through her carry-on bag. A sigh of relief escaped her lips before grabbing her iPod and putting on the headphones.

Only a minute later did the music stop and Trish glanced down at her music player. '_Low battery!' _it had blinked before turning black. Groaning, she threw the music player back into her bag.

"Here," the songwriter said, gently handing Trish her own iPod. She looked up to see the timid girl grabbing a few of her things.

"Where are you going?" Trish asked. Ally pointed to the other side of the plane where Dez began to stand, clumsily making his way past the older woman sitting in the aisle seat and almost dropping his camera in the process.

"Austin wants to talk to me," she replied simply. Trish inwardly groaned at the thought of Dez replacing Ally's seat. Blasting the music, she leaned back and closed her eyes. '_Thank goodness Mrs. Moon is sitting between us_.'

* * *

><p>Ally fell into the empty middle seat between Austin and an older woman after tripping over the latter's feet.<p>

"You okay?" The blond asked his best friend once she situated herself.

"Um, yeah," she said with a shake of her head. "What did you need to talk to me about?" Ally watched as Austin had a, very visible, debate with himself over what to tell her.

"Okay, I'll be honest since you like honesty." He took a deep breath, eyes flickering over to Dez before back to Ally. "I don't have to talk to you about anything. Dez just wanted to switch seats." Ally raised an eyebrow at this and waited for Austin to continue but he dropped the subject there.

"Is this because he likes Trish?" she asked bluntly. Austin's eyes widened at the mention of this secret. He didn't make it seem too obvious, did he? "I figured it out last week." The singer let out a breath of relief before smiling at her.

"What have you been writing the entire time?"

Ally gave the boy a quizzical look. "You noticed I've been writing?" she asked, yawning a bit while wondering how often he looked across the aisle at her. She didn't notice the light pink stain his cheeks.

"I was making sure everything was okay over there," he answered which was only partially true. He had seen the guy sitting behind Ally's original seat and Austin didn't miss the onceover that the teenager gave her. He was just being a protective best friend. Ally just laughed and rolled her eyes at the blonde boy before leaning back and closing her eyes.

Austin watched as her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing slowed a bit. The group had to get up really early for their flight and everyone was pretty tired. He took a cue from his best friend and leaned back as well, letting his eyes slip closed.

* * *

><p>The feeling of the plane landing jolted Ally awake from the very nice dream she was having. Sitting up very suddenly, her head collided with Austin's and by the looks of it he was woken by the impact. She figured that when she fell asleep, her head fell on his shoulders, his head following suit.<p>

LAX seemed to be very busy and reminded her much of JFK in New York. Ally's eyes took in the atmosphere of Los Angeles and had become so consumed just by the airport itself that she almost lost the rest of her group. She brought her attention back to her group at the sound of Trish's voice.

"I thought that flight would have never ended!" the Latina groaned. Ally laughed as Trish grabbed her luggage as it appeared on the conveyer belt. She practically threw them onto the ground right near Dez's feet.

"Didn't you have a bunch of important stuff in there, Trish?" Austin asked from beside Ally. The short girl simply shrugged and walked over to the awaiting Mrs. Moon, assuming that Dez would carry her luggage.

"I can't believe it! We're actually in LA!" Ally squealed and the boys just winced. The group gathered together before catching a cab outside of the airport entrance. Each person had surprisingly fit their bags in the trunk before squishing into the van. Their eyes were glued on the scenery outside of the car once they started their way to the hotel.

"Look! There's the Hollywood sign!" Mrs. Moon pointed out as they drove past it. Ally's mouth fell open as she stared at the big white letters. Was she dreaming? Here she was in Los Angeles with her best friends yet it all felt like it wasn't real. If anyone told her a year ago she would be in Hollywood with a friend that had just gotten signed to a label, she would have laughed until she passed out.

The palm trees that lined some of the roads reminded her so much of Miami and she felt comfortable. Maybe LA won't be too bad. Sure, the traffic was a worse, she had already noted, but it was a minor detail.

Her hand flew forward as she pointed towards a street sign. "It's Rodeo Drive!" she nearly shouted. Austin leaned forward and squinted, examining the street as they drove down it.

"So? What's so important about it?" he asked with a shrug. Trish and Ally shared a look. Boys just wouldn't understand-

"Is that Rachael McAdams?" Austin yelled. He leaned over Dez and Trish to gaze out the window at the woman. Being pushed back into his seat by his friends, Ally noticed the love-struck look on his face. With a roll of her eyes, she continued to watch Los Angeles fly by her, welcoming the breeze from her open window.

* * *

><p>The group of five had reached their hotel shortly after and got showered and changed. They had two adjoining hotel rooms, one for the girls and the other for the boys. Each one held two beds, a small table for two, and a bathroom. Clothes already littered the room from Trish and Mrs. Moon trying to find new outfits.<p>

"Knock knock!" Austin said from their side of the door. Ally opened the adjoining door and the boys walked in leisurely.

"Ready for lunch?" Mrs. Moon asked the group as she put on new earrings. The four teenagers nodded and they made their way to the restaurant on the first floor.

Theodore Adams had e-mailed Trish during the week, wanting to arrange a lunch for all of them. Ally knew how big this entire trip was for Austin; after all, the president of a record company doesn't have personal interaction with every one of their clients. Yet she couldn't stop the sinking feeling in her stomach as they approached the restaurant. She knew that something just didn't add up.

"Mrs. Moon, thank you for bringing your son and the rest of Team Austin to LA for the weekend," Theodore Adams said as he stood from his seat at the table. He gently grabbed the blonde woman's hand and kissed her knuckles before nodding at the rest of the group. His eyes landed on Ally. "Ms. Dawson, I didn't know that you were going to be coming on the trip as well," he said.

Ally couldn't help the shiver that went down her spine. Thankfully no one else noticed this but she just didn't trust the man. Austin opened his mouth to speak, the confused expression on his face. His eyes locked with Ally and she just shook her head. It wasn't worth it.

"Please, sit down everyone," the Thrills Records president said. The group made each took a seat at the round table, Mrs. Moon beside Theodore and Austin beside her. The singer insisted on his songwriter sitting beside him because she's one of the most important people at the table. He wouldn't even have this chance if it wasn't for him. Trish sat beside her best friend and Dez happily sat between Trish and Theodore.

The table was silent for a moment and Ally awkwardly grasped her menu. She didn't know what to order. If she ordered a low priced meal, would Theodore think she was being cheap? Then again, she couldn't very well afford the rest of the items on the menu.

"Order whatever you would like, it's on me," he said. Ally quickly glanced at her friends before back at her menu. Everything here was so expensive. What if she ordered a more expensive meal and Theodore thought she was just trying to get the most out of his money? She had been so consumed by her thoughts that she didn't notice the waitress asking for their drink orders and Ally was relieved when her Pepsi showed up in front of her.

"Thank you," she whispered to Austin, realizing he was the one that ordered it for her. He was the only person that actually knew her favorite drink. The blond shrugged and gave her his signature smile before his eyes landed on their waitress who had gathered almost everyone's orders.

"I'll have the lobster," Austin said with a smile, politely handing the woman the menu.

"I'll have the same," Ally spoke, so quietly that Austin had to repeat what she had said so the waitress could catch it.

Theodore Adams folded his hands in front of him and looked directly at Austin. "Thank you for joining me in LA. I wish to personally get your career rolling immediately." A wide smile graced the singer's features.

"It was no problem, Mr. Adams," he responded enthusiastically.

"Now, have you thought anymore about moving to LA?"

"Moving to LA?" Austin asked, his eyebrows knit in confusion. "Why would I move to LA?" Theodore's laugh roared and Ally shared a nervous look with Trish.

"Why _wouldn't _you move to LA?" the record label president responded. "We can't have you recording songs in Florida! Los Angeles is one of the best places for your career at this point."

The silence that fell over the table was unlike any before. Austin gulped and looked from his mother, to his best friends, to Theodore.

"I think I'm going to need a few more days to think about that," Austin finally said, the food arriving once he finished speaking.

The lobster, though expensive, didn't taste as good as Ally had hoped it would. Maybe it was just due to her high expectations of the fancy restaurant. But she couldn't fool herself; she knew that the recent conversation had just ruined her mood. Her brown eyes traveled to Dez and Trish who were silently arguing about something insignificant it seemed. If Austin moved to Los Angeles, where would that leave the rest of Team Austin?

* * *

><p><strong>Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. I am such a horrible author. I'm sorry. I honestly have no excuse so feel free to yell at me.<strong>

**And I'm sorry this chapter is kind of short and not that great. But obviously, there's some trouble brewing for Team Austin!**

**Big, big, BIG thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, added this to alerts, or even is a silent reader. I really just want to thank you all! I love getting e-mails from fanfiction telling me that something of mine got added to alerts, got favorited, or even got a review! I** love **reading what you**** all say! And I would really appreciate some critism to improve my writing and whatnot. But seriously, I want to hear your opinions about my story so far! Did you love a certain part more than others? Did you hate a part? I love hearing all your thoughts!**

**And OH MY GOSH! 68 REVIEWS? WHAT? HOW? I really appreciate the fact that some of you guys review after every chapter. It makes me feel so special that you care enough to do that every time. I LOVE YOU GUYS! :D**

**Review responses (thank you all so much for reviewing!);;**

**Bubblelina15: Yes! And as you can see, she kind of has every right to. Things are about to get crazy!**

**ctiger: Hm... Will he or won't he? Or will he try his best to? All these questions! And I'm almost one hundred percent certain that there'll be some major Auslly moments in the next chapter! ;D**

**jazzmonkey: I am SO SORRY that my update is practically a month later. I am so so so sorry! But aw, I liked writing her finding out about who he liked too! I feel like she's got that girl intuition. Things will get very, VERY interesting soon!**

**squirtlepokemon215: Hahaha your reviews always make me laugh and smile! I feel like if Tilly and Dallas got together, it'd at first probably be to get Austin and/or Ally back/jealous and then they'd fall in love. But they seem to make a very interesting pair! I'm glad you love it so far! YAY! :D**

**shimmeringbubbles: Oh my gosh, you are too sweet. I don't think I'm that good but thank you so much! I really appreciate your review! It made me smile so much! :D**

**Taylors sister:**** Yes, she kind of is but is really in deep denial. I saw that you reviewed on almost every chapter! Thank you so much for that! It made me so happy! I cannot wait to hear more from you!**

**Seriously, you guys are the best. I love you all! I cannot thank you enough.**

**Until next time... :)**


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